Bengaluru’s success has become one of its biggest challenges. The city continues to attract jobs, companies and people from across India, but its roads, public transport and civic infrastructure are struggling to keep pace.
At the India Today Karnataka Summit 2026, experts discussed how Bengaluru can manage its rapid growth without losing what makes it one of India’s most attractive cities.
The discussion brought together NA Haris (MLA and Chairman, Bengaluru Development Authority), Srinivas Alavilli (Fellow, WRI India), Revathy Ashok (CEO, Bengaluru Political Action Committee) and Harish Bijoor (Brand Expert), who offered different views on traffic, public transport, urban planning and the city’s future.
Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow at WRI India, pointed to the sharp rise in public transport use in Bengaluru in recent years. Bus and metro ridership has grown significantly, helped by the Shakti scheme, expansion of bus services and the opening of new Metro connections.
The growth shows that people are willing to leave their cars and two-wheelers behind when public transport is convenient and accessible.
Revathy Ashok, however, said the city needs to go further. Metro and suburban rail are important for the long term, but buses will remain critical in the immediate future.
She stressed the need for reliable buses, better bus stops and real-time information so commuters know when their bus will arrive. If public transport is unpredictable, people are unlikely to give up private vehicles.
The panellists also discussed Bengaluru’s limited road network and the difficulty of creating new roads in an already built-up city.
Ashok said some heavily congested areas may need solutions such as underground infrastructure rather than simply adding more roads.
NA Haris, meanwhile, highlighted the need for better footpaths and dedicated spaces for street vendors. Clearing pavements without providing alternatives for hawkers, he suggested, would not solve the problem.
The larger issue, according to the panellists, is also about changing how people travel. Public transport will work better only when citizens themselves are willing to use it.
One of the strongest points at the summit came from Harish Bijoor, who suggested that Bengaluru needs to be “demagnetised”.
His point was simple: the city has become a magnet for companies, technology workers and investment, but its physical infrastructure cannot expand at the same pace.
Bijoor said Bengaluru’s population and vertical growth have increased sharply while the road network remains largely unchanged. Instead of endlessly adding to the pressure on the core city, development needs to spread to surrounding areas.
He pointed towards places such as Ramanagara and other satellite cities that could be better connected to Bengaluru through suburban rail, metro and other transport links.
Bijoor also warned against unchecked expansion. His phrase, “Greed is good, but greed up to a limitation is good,” summed up the dilemma facing Bengaluru.
The city needs economic growth, but there are limits to how much population, construction and traffic its existing infrastructure can support.
Alavilli offered a different perspective. Rather than asking people and companies to stay away, he argued that Bengaluru’s ability to create jobs should be celebrated. The real problem, he said, is that infrastructure growth has failed to match population and economic growth.
He also highlighted the need for more government staff, pointing to shortages of traffic police, engineers and other officials needed to manage a rapidly expanding city.
The panel’s discussion eventually came down to a larger question: what Bengaluru wants.
Haris described Bengaluru as one of India’s most liveable cities and said citizens and the government need to work together rather than constantly blame each other.
Bijoor’s answer was that residents need to take greater ownership of the city. He warned that Bengaluru risks becoming a “rented city”, where people live and work but do not feel responsible for its upkeep.
The panel also stressed that companies have a role to play. Since daily office travel is a major contributor to congestion, businesses could encourage employees to use public transport.
For Bengaluru, the message was clear: growth cannot stop, but it needs to become better planned. Better public transport, stronger civic capacity, decentralised development and greater citizen participation could help the city grow without allowing congestion and poor infrastructure to overwhelm its strengths.